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Thursday, June 23, 2011

This article was written by Pete South, follow him on Twitter @peterwsouth.

Aston Villa winger Ashley young has finalized his move to Manchester United in a five year deal believed to be worth around £17 million. The 25-year-old passed his medical at United’s training ground on Thursday before putting pen to paper to sign for the reigning Premier League champions.

Football bets had long linked Young with a move to Old Trafford, while Arsenal and Chelsea were also said to be interested. Young had only one year left on his contract with Villa meaning they could do little about his desire to play Champions League football next season, with the former Watford man saying the opportunity to join United was too good a chance to pass up.

Young said this to MUTV:

“The opportunity to come to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world is one I couldn't turn down... It is a chance to hopefully become part of history by helping them to win their 20th title... It's a prospect I always looked at from being a child - to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world. I've got that opportunity now so I've just got to take it with two hands."

Club captain Rio Ferdinand took up the chance to welcome Ashley Young to the club on his Twitter.

“Welcoming Ashley Young to Manchester United - another top, hungry and young player joins the ranks,"

he wrote.

Football betting backed Young to leave Villa Park earlier this season after the player signalled his intent to leave Villa with the Midlands side briefly battling with relegation before easing away from danger under the guidance of new boss Gerard Houllier. Now we'll have a chance to see what young can do surrounded by a new set of teammates at Old Trafford. He'll surely have someone to give assists to in Javier Hernandez, who has be lighting up the Gold Cup with goals.

How will Ashley Young's first season at Manchester United pan out? Is this another perfectly timed "Ferguson signing"? Share your thoughts and comments below!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

This article was written by Pete South, follow him on Twitter @peterwsouth.

UPDATE: VILLAS-BOAS HAS SIGNED A THREE YEAR CONTRACT WITH CHELSEA

Andre Villas-Boas has resigned from his post as Porto manager amidst widespread speculation he will be installed as the next Chelsea boss, with a Portuguese news agency claiming the 33-year-old paid the €15 million release clause in his contract that allows him to leave the club himself. Porto made a statement to the Portuguese Securities Market Commission confirming Villas Boas had left the club early on Tuesday, but insisted that they would only allow him to leave once the €15 million had been deposited into their account.

The statement said:

"Porto can inform the stock market that FC Porto has received notification from its coach André Villas-Boas, of the intention to resign with immediate effect. As such his employment contract shall be considered rescinded upon deposit of the stipulated amount."

On Monday the club reiterated their stance that they will block any move for the young manager until they received the amount stipulated in their former manager’s contract. The Lusa news agency claim that he has paid the sum himself – something that seems unlikely given the enormity of the figure – something reports elsewhere in Portugal backed up.

Villas-Boas guided Porto to a domestic double last season before capping off a spectacular campaign with a win over Braga in the Europa League final. He also worked as a scout for Jose Mourinho during the Real Madrid manager’s time at Chelsea and Inter Milan. Chelsea remain tight lipped over the appointment of Villas-Boas, who was also said to be on the list of replacements for Leonardo at Inter Milan, and said they hoped to reveal their new manager in the coming days.

A spokesman of the club said this:

“We hope to be able to make an announcement regarding the new manager in the next few days or so, but until then we will not be commenting further on the speculation surrounding that appointment."

Should Villas-Boas complete his move to Chelsea, he is likely to bring Porto striker Radamel Falcao with him ending Arsenal fans hopes that he could be seen in an Arsenal kit next season. Tottenham were also said to be interested in the prolific forward.

Guus Hiddink had originally been the favourite for the role left vacant after Carlo Ancelotti’s departure, but is now said to be interested in the Inter Milan position, yet could still stay in his position as manager of the Turkish national side.

Hiddink’s agent Cees Van Nieuwenhuizen said the following to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"We have never spoken to (president Massimo) Moratti... Hiddink has a contract with the Turkish federation and therefore before any talks can begin, Moratti must contact the federation and say he is interested in Guus. He is contracted until 2012 so, for the time being, there is no possibility that he can coach Inter... If Inter reached an agreement with Turkey? Well at that point Hiddink would certainly evaluate the Nerazzurri offer but he is a professional and he has never broken a contract in his whole career."

What are your thoughts regarding the international managerial merry-go-round? Have Chelsea got the right man for the job in Villas-Boas? Will Inter manage to find a manager of proper quality for next season, and will that man be Guus Hiddink? Share your comments below!

Monday, June 6, 2011

On my new Tumblr blog, called Loving That Soccer, I recently posted a picture of Kaka wearing the Adidas Real Madrid home kit for next season. While there have always been rumours and leaked images of possible designs of the Real Madrid kit, there were never concrete images to prove anything.

The new kit features pretty snazzy gold designs on the jersey, shorts, and socks along with the Adidas logo being golden. The collar is also new, and I prefer it a lot more to the the the past season's. While I like the design quite a bit, others might not find the gold design very appealing.

My Tumblr blog is soccer/football photos, usually ones which I find funny or inspiring. Take a look and follow if you like it.

What are your thoughts on Real Madrid's new home kit? Do you like the new style? Share your thoughts and comments below!

Friday, June 3, 2011

Every year, around this time of year or so, EA Sports has been releasing the latest FIFA edition's trailer. The upcoming FIFA 12 looks to have some of the biggest gameplay changes we'll see yet. With additions like precision dribbling and the player impact engine, along with revamped defending and matchday presentation, this looks to be an extraordinary game.

Here's the trailer which gives you a preview to the new mechanics, which has left many FIFA gamers salivating.

So if you're a fan of the FIFA series and you want to stay up to date with press releases, videos, and everything regarding FIFA 12 as news leaks or is revealed, here are my favorite sites to visit. FIFA Soccer Blog has frequent updates regarding news of FIFA 12 and whatever else EA Sports are working on. I also like to keep an eye on the official EA FIFA website, and I'm a big fan of EA Sports's official FIFA podcast which you can find on iTunes.

What are your thoughts on FIFA 12? Will you be buying it, or are the features not enough to please you? Share your comments below!